The present invention relates to a belt as a traction mechanism for conveyor bands of agricultural machines of the belt have an upper step and a lower step respectively that, in a region of overlap, rest upon one another and are interconnected in a pull-resistant manner, whereby the belt is comprised of a polymer reinforced by a n fabric plies, where n=2 to 4, and the n fabric plies, on the outer sides of the belt are covered by a polymer layer, whereby in the region of overlap the inwardly disposed polymer layers are at least partially removed.
Conveyor bands that have belts as traction mechanisms are used, for example, in agricultural machines. Such conveyor bands generally have two or more belts that are disposed parallel to one another and are interconnected by transverse elements, e.g. bars or rods.
To be able to be used, the belts must exist in an endless configuration. Various procedures are known in the state of the art for producing such an endless configuration.
For example, it is known from DE 100 37 645 A1 to serrate the two ends of a belt in a comb-like manner, and to fit these serrated regions together, and then vulcanize them to make the belt endless.
In DE 297 16 333 U1 and DE 10 2006 022 011 B3, making the traction mechanism, which is embodied as a cam belt, endless is effected by means of a belt jointing mechanism. Various embodiments of such belt jointing mechanisms are frequently used to make the traction mechanisms endless for conveyor bands of agricultural machines.
DE 1 805 364 A discloses a method for making a conveyor band endless by stepping the two ends of the conveyor band over the entire width, thereby forming a region of overlap having an upper and a lower step. In this region of overlap, the two ends of the conveyor band are disposed one upon the other. The two stepped ends of the conveyor band thus complement one another to provide their overall thickness, and are then interconnected in a pull-resistant manner by a subsequent vulcanization.
As a drawback of this method, it is described that due to the interruption of the fabric reinforcing plies caused by the formation of the steps, losses of strength and load-carrying capacity at the connection location have to be reckoned with.
It is proposed in DE 1 805 364 A, for a conveyor band of rubber and having at least two fabric reinforcing plies with an intermediate rubber layer, to remove the intermediate rubber layer in the region of overlap and beyond, and to replace it with an insert of reinforcing fabric that is rubberized on both sides, and subsequently to post vulcanize this connection. The reinforcing fabric extends beyond the locations where the upper step and the lower step abut, as a result of which greater pulling forces can be taken up at the connection location. The conveyor band is bent or buckled at its guide rollers, as a result of which the upper and lower steps can bow at the abutment locations, so that ultimately only the additionally introduced fabric reinforcing ply transfers pulling forces.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,495 A discloses an emergency V-belt for motor vehicles. The two ends of the V-belt are stepped, thus forming a region of overlap having an upper and a lower step. Teeth are formed on the inner side of the upper step and of the lower step, which are spaced from one another by tooth gaps. For the connection of the belt ends, the teeth of the upper step can be pressed into the tooth gaps of the lower step, and vice versa. The connection is then effected by a screw connection of the upper and lower steps in the region of overlap. In so doing, the length of the emergency V-belt can be determined by using either the entire toothed region of the upper step and the lower step, or only a partial region thereof.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a belt as a traction mechanism for conveyor bands of agricultural machines that has a high static and dynamic strength in the region of overlap.
This object is inventively realized with a belt where in the region of overlap, upper step and lower step are interconnected in a pull-resistant manner by at least two connection locations that are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the belt and include thread or rivet members, whereby in the region of overlap the inwardly disposed polymer layers are entirely removed or absent, and the fabric plies of lower step and upper step that in the region of overlap are disposed directly opposite one another are provided with complementary tooth elements that, for the transfer of pulling forces, mesh with one another, and whereby the inner fabric plies of lower step and/or upper step extend into the region of overlap in a partial region that includes at least one connection location, while the remaining fabric plies of lower step and upper step extend over the entire region of overlap, so that the lower step and/or the upper step is provided with n fabric plies in the partial region.